Latest California Healthline Stories
Officials in Sacramento County Launch Vaccination Tracking System
Shots for Tots — a coalition of health care providers, businesses and community organizations — on Tuesday in Sacramento County officially launched the Kids Immunization Data System, a computerized registry to track childhood vaccinations, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Signatures for eight initiatives, including three health care-related measures, on Tuesday were submitted for a possible November special election, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Three County Boards of Supervisors Act on Health-Related Issues
Boards of Supervisors in Sacramento, Contra Costa and Los Angeles counties on Tuesday acted on health-related issues.
Federal Court Moves To Place State Prison Health Care System Under Receivership
The federal judge presiding over a 2002 court order requiring California to provide adequate prison health care by 2008 on Tuesday took the first step in placing the state prison system in a receivership, a step that would transfer full power to direct prison health policy to an outside authority, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Medicare Revises Policy on Newer Lenses in Cataract Surgeries
Medicare has revised a policy to allow beneficiaries who undergo cataract surgery to receive high-tech replacement lenses that correct reading vision, rather than traditional lenses, provided that they cover the additional cost out of pocket, CMS announced on Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Livermore City Council Votes To Oppose Possible Closure of VA Hospital
The Livermore City Council on Monday approved a resolution formally opposing closure or reduction of services at the Livermore Veterans Affairs Medical Center, the Contra Costa Times reports.
Former Opponent of Silicone Breast Implants Reverses Opinion
Thomas Whalen, a pediatric surgeon “often credited with persuading” FDA to reject an application to allow the commercial sale of silicone breast implants in 2003, said in a letter last month to FDA Acting Commissioner Lester Crawford that adequate evidence currently exists to support approval, the Washington Post reports.
United States Leads World in Illegal Distribution of Prescription Drugs, Industry Report Finds
The United States in 2004 led the world in combined reported incidents involving drug counterfeiting, theft and diversion, according to a study by the Pharmaceutical Security Institute, a private firm funded by the drug industry, USA Today reports.
National Children’s Health Study Requires Additional Funds
The National Children’s Study — launched last year to allow researchers to track 100,000 U.S. children from before birth to age 21 to determine the role of environmental factors on children’s health — requires additional funds to continue, supporters said on Tuesday at a congressional briefing, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
University of California Service Workers Approve Contract
Unionized service workers at University of California campuses and hospitals have approved a new three-year contract, officials for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299 announced on Monday, the Sacramento Bee reports.